


Fire and Water

by Gemstarzah



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Crazy Azula (Avatar), Eventual Katara/Zuko (Avatar), F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-22 03:03:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13754913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemstarzah/pseuds/Gemstarzah
Summary: When Zuko finds himself unexpectedly joining Team Avatar, he faces the task of helping take down his own father. He also finds an unexpected friend in Katara, or will there be something more? Will Team Avatar be able to bring down Fire Lord Ozai by the time Sozin's Comet arrives? And what will they do once the world is safe?





	1. Battle in the Crystal Cavern

“Help me beat them, and come back as a Prince again…”

The words were very tempting for Zuko. He looked at his Uncle, and saw him shaking his head. Zuko knew that his own path was not that easily defined.

_I do want to go home…_

“Aang!”

Zuko looked up as he heard Katara shout out, to see Aang falling unconscious through the air. _That’s not good!_ It seemed the Avatar had hit his head or some part of his body and knocked himself out while in the Avatar State. He’d likely collided with one of the huge green crystal stalactites spread through the cave.

He blocked quickly as a blue fireball came roaring toward his face, and knew that Azula wasn’t going to wait for an answer.

“Help them get out of here Uncle!”

Zuko fought back, kicking fire from his feet at his sister and the warriors she had brought with her.

He glanced behind himself and saw Iroh helping Kitara get Aang out of the cave. Zuko continued to fight, retreating as he did. He yelped however, when he saw Azula change her pose, and threw himself backwards as lightning came crackling toward him. He hit the ground hard on his back and gasped as he did, all the air got knocked out of him.

A shadow fell over him as Iroh gave a harsh shout, and the lightning went straight up into the cave roof, sending green crystals raining down onto the ground, blocking Azula’s sight.

“Nephew! Come on!”

Zuko jumped to his feet once more, ignoring the hand from his Uncle and hurried with him over to the others. Katara looked surprised that he'd chosen them but she didn't comment as she and the other water tribesman, Sokka were busy shifting Aang close to the blind kid wearing green.

“Get us out of here Toph!” Sokka said.

 _Wait the blind one?_ Zuko yelped as the ground below him hurled up into the air as the girl used her bending. He landed hard on the ground, perhaps she'd been a little rougher than necessary.

He coughed rolling over to see his Uncle had landed on his feet. _Why me?_ Zuko winced and got back to his feet.

“I hope you four have a plan because it won't be long before Azula’s after you all again. My sister won't give up easily.”

He looked around, seeing the trouble that had been caused by the fire nation troopers whom Azula had likely brought with her. _We shouldn’t have remained hidden in that tea shop as we did._ It was a shameful thing, knowing that so many people had suffered indeed there were burning buildings everywhere, because of the Fire Nation.

They’d made quite a few friends in the tea shop, considering he knew his Uncle had been firebending in secret to heat the tea he sold. Something that almost got them arrested on more than one occasion, but they’d managed to avoid it happening.

 _Jet even tried to force me or Uncle to firebend in self defense, the annoying boy._ Jet had ended up being the one arrested, as Zuko had used his twin dao swords to defend himself, and the people in the shop had pointed out that the attack had been unprovoked.

_And then Azula trapped us._

Or more acutely, himself since Iroh had managed to escape at the last moment, and he hadn’t. That had been when he’d met Katara and actually talked to her. Seemed there were some things that they had in common, and he’d never thought that possible considering she was from the Southern Water Tribe.

He looked over and saw how worried she was.

“He’s the Avatar, Kitara, surely of all people he can recover from running into that stalactite.”

She looked at him.

“Not if he doesn’t wake up soon.”

* * *

 

They didn't wait long for Aang to wake up. It seemed the fresh air outside the crystal cave was enough to revive the young airbender.

“Umm what's _he_ doing here?”

Katara smiled slightly.

“I think this time Zuko is on our side, Aang. He helped us get out of the caves. Not to mention fought off his sister long enough for us to all group together…”

_Yeah and then had to dodge lightning because I can't redirect it yet._

Zuko knew that one day he needed to learn how to do so. If there were ever a chance that he'd be on his own without his uncle there to save the day again. He knew his uncle wouldn't live forever, and it seemed a very handy skill to have.

“How did you do that Uncle?”

Iroh smiled.

“Much the same as I firebend I suppose. Though there is a symmetry between it and waterbending when I think about it.”

Katara looked over.

“Even I could have said that…”

Iroh looked at her.

“I’d no doubt you'd have noticed indeed, being a water bender such as you are. To redirect lightning you have to be very focused and keep your form clear of any obstacles or the Lightning won't do as you want it to. It must go in one hand, through you, and out the other.”

As he spoke Iroh moved his hands showing what he meant, as well as his legs too. First extending one arm, two fingers together before shifting his weight to the other side and extending his other arm using the same fingers together.

“If you lose your focus, it will consume you. And will indeed kill you.”

Aang, Zuko noticed was watching eagerly, he had the feeling he was trying to learn that idea as well. Zuko knew ther was every chance that later on, Aang would face his father Ozai and Zuko knew the Fire Lord would use lightning as well as fire to try and beat Aang.

“Hey Aang?”

Aang looked at him.

“What?”

“Can you fire bend yet?”

Aang shook his head and Zuko winced.

“Well I guess that's where I'll come in.”

 


	2. Escape

Aang looked around.

“Time we all got out of here, before Azula gets out of that cave. Question is, where’s Appa?”

Zuko looked at him.

“He should show up soon, don’t worry. I found him earlier where he’d been caught and got him free. For now we should move away from here, let him find us away from this spot…”

He’d the odd feeling that they were being watched, though he wasn’t sure where from exactly. That meant that soon Azula would learn that Aang had survived the fight, and that of all things meant even more trouble for them.

“Not to mention Azula will likely come after us once she’s above ground again,” Iroh commented.

Zuko winced.

“I don’t want to stick around for that. She’ll be angry that we managed to get away, and that’s never a good thing. It only makes her even worse to fight off.”

Katara looked at him.

“Sounds like you speak from experience, Zuko?”

Zuko nodded.

“I wish that weren’t the case but it is. There’s about a month before Sozin’s Comet arrives again, and I really hope that by then Aang will be able to fire-bend successfully. Otherwise we really don’t stand much of a chance.”

Aang looked at him.

“What’s so special about a comet?”

Zuko winced.

“Aside from the fact it is named after my great grandfather? Sozin’s Comet is also something that will make all of the benders in the Fire Nation, and I guess in the world too, expediently more powerful. Without a fully trained Avatar about, it’ll mean the end for many, since I know my father wants to control the world. I’ve no doubt he’ll strike then, when he’ll be virtually unstoppable by any other bender.”

Sokka smiled.

“What if we use the solar eclipse against him as a time to strike?”

Zuko winced.

“While that would make him unable to fire-bend during the eclipse, well, it wont take away the other ability he has. He can lightning bend as can Azula, and of course, my Uncle.”

He on the other hand hadn’t been able to make lightning yet, so he’d be useless in a fight if he was there. That wasn’t a feeling that Zuko liked.

“After all, remember at the Northern Water Tribe what happened when the Water Spirit was killed by Zhao? We became more powerful, and the water benders couldn’t use their abilities. It’s the same thing with the solar eclipse. It affects fire benders, we lose our power while its going on, but we will regain them as soon as there’s any part of the sun no longer hidden. That would give you about an hour to find and defeat my father, assuming he doesn’t lightning bend, and that I very much doubt.”

Aang nodded.

“Well once we get out of here, time I started to learn to fire-bend.”

“I’m not going to come with you all.”

Zuko turned to stare at his uncle.

“Why not?”

Iroh shook his head.

“There’s a group I want to seek out, something I was a part of. I’m going to help take this city back from Azula when the time comes for it. Once I might have helped conquer Ba Sing Se, but this time, I will help free it from the Fire Nation’s grasp.”

Iroh paused.

“Also Zuko, think back to the stories about the time when Roku was the Avatar. There’s a link between you and him.”

Zuko raised an eyebrow.

“How the hell can there be some link between me and someone who’s been dead for a thousand years?”

Iroh laughed.

“Well that’s possible, given you’re his great grandson, as much as you are Sozin’s. Through your mother.”

Aang stared at Zuko.

“You’re what?”

“Apparently descended from one of your past lives,” Zuko replied. “I wasn’t expecting that, but it makes sense now why I’m more interested in helping you.”

“In a creepy kind of way, yes,” Aang replied. “I didn’t think the Avatar ever had any kids, and Roku certainly never mentioned them when we spoke in the spirit world.”

“I guess he might not have wanted to distract you from the task at hand,” Iroh replied. “Be careful, and good luck defeating my brother…”

He hurried out of sight to leave everyone staring at Zuko.

“His brother?” Sokka asked.

“My father,” Zuko replied shortly. “Uncle’s his elder brother, and would have been the Fire Lord – a better guy indeed – if my cousin hadn’t been killed here in battle, and my uncle lost the will to lead people… Not to mention my father’s interference, which almost cost my life in the end.”

Katara looked at him.

“Oh that’s right, you told me about that earlier… but how exactly are you still alive anyway?”

Zuko shook his head.

“I wish I knew. All I remember is mother finding out, and then the next morning I was alive, and she’d been banished for something treasonous. Yet, I can’t help but wonder what she did that was so bad, she loved us dearly…”

He turned and walked away a little, only returning as Appa came down to land near the others.

“Time to get out of here,” Aang called.

Once Zuko had climbed up with the others, he avoided their gaze. It wasn’t an easy topic to talk about, when it came to his mother. He missed her dearly, and hoped one day he might find her. _If she’s even still alive._ The chances of it were pretty slim.

Soon Appa was up in the air, and Zuko closed his eyes. He really didn’t want to talk to the others about where his mother was, or anything to do with her for now. _Why bother, when there’s nothing they can do to help find her._

Not to mention his Uncle had left him with them, and Zuko had no idea where Iroh might be going. He was alone once more, and that had never been something that suited him. He knew that.


End file.
